CD Baby and Disc Makers Adopt Limelight, An Online Clearance Form for Artists and Labels Looking to Clear Cover Songs
March 17th, 2010, New York, NY – CD Baby, one of the largest digital distributors for independent music, and Disc Makers, the leading independent CD and DVD manufacturer, have adopted Limelight (http://limelight.rightsflow.com), an online clearance form for artists and labels looking to clear cover songs.
Limelight, which is powered by RightsFlow, provides artists and labels a simple, easy method to clear cover songs and third-party compositions for physical releases, digital downloads, and ringtones, reducing the complexity of licensing with domestic and international publishers and songwriters directly. CD Baby and Disc Makers will take advantage of the service by providing direct linkage and integration of the service within their user platform.
“We are delighted to partner with RightsFlow in offering Limelight to CD Baby and Disc Makers artists,” said Tony van Veen, President and CEO of Audio and Video Labs Inc., the parent company of Disc Makers, and CD Baby. “Limelight will make it easy for artists to secure mechanical licenses for cover songs right when they get their CDs replicated or sold as downloads.”
“We are excited to partner with CD Baby and Disc Makers for Limelight,” said Patrick Sullivan, President and CEO of RightsFlow. “Their wide palette of independent recording artists and groups can now tap Limelight to clear new versions of classic and obscure songs alike while properly compensating songwriters and publishers.”
CD Baby and Disc Maker customers can create Limelight accounts within minutes and pay for licenses via PayPal.
Limelight is a service of RightsFlow, a leading expert in mechanical licensing who help simplify how rights holders get paid. As new methods of consuming music have emerged the company has been a pioneer in solving the complex issues of copyright compliance and royalty payment.
Under U.S. Copyright Law, mechanical licenses are required for music to be distributed through online music services. The current U.S. statutory mechanical rate for permanent downloads is 9.1¢ for songs five minutes or less and 1.75¢ per minute for songs over five minutes. Limited download and interactive streaming services generally pay a mechanical royalty of 10.5 percent of revenue, less amounts owed for performance royalties.
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About Disc Makers
In business since 1946, Disc Makers is the nation’s leading independent CD and DVD manufacturer, offering a wide variety of products and services, including state-of-the-art automated printers and duplicating systems as well as complete CD and DVD replication and custom packaging for independent musicians, filmmakers, and businesses. The company’s state-of-the-art facilities are outfitted with the latest graphic, printing, and CD/DVD replication equipment and products, as well as in-house studios for mastering and post-production, DVD and CD-ROM multimedia authoring, and award-winning graphic design. Disc Makers manufactures and distributes a large selection of disc duplication and printing systems, as well as a full line of recordable media and disc packaging supplies. The company also offers a variety of additional services including download cards, poster printing, and custom merch. Disc Makers’ main office and plant is located near Philadelphia in Pennsauken, NJ, and the company has regional offices in Los Angeles, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Nashville, Boston, Houston and Puerto Rico.
Contact for Disc Makers:
Steven Spatz, VP of Marketing, 1-800-468-9353 x 5373
About CD Baby
Started in a garage in 1998, CD Baby (http://cdbaby.com) has grown to become the world’s leading distributor of independent music. To date, CD Baby has paid out over $111 million directly to independent artists. From its Portland, OR headquarters, the company warehouses and ships over 250,000 independent albums to a customer base that spans the entire globe. In addition to shipping physical discs, CD Baby was one of the first to open the doors for the independent music community to access digital retailers. The company also offers other services to musicians such as the ability to accept credit cards at shows, web hosting through their sister company HostBaby, short-run disc duplication, merch items and download cards.
Contact for CD Baby:
Steven Spatz, VP of Marketing, 1-800-468-9353 x 5373
About RightsFlow
www.rightsflow.com
RightsFlow is a leading provider of mechanical licensing services and royalty payment technology for online music services, record companies, distributors and artists. The RightsFlow technology powers rapid song identification and provides an unprecedented level of transparency for both licensees and licensors. RightsFlow specializes in obtaining bulk physical, DPD, and ringtone licenses including streaming, tethered, and limited download rights. Our proprietary “FLOW” licensing technology and 10.5 million song database allow us to license content, render accounting, and pay royalties on behalf of clients quickly and accurately, ensuring that rights-holders are paid for the use of their work.
RightsFlow currently serves over 9,500 clients obtaining licenses from publishers and songwriters all over the world – including major, independent and artist controlled works. Clients include CD Baby, Disc Makers, Muzak, Amie Street, [PIAS], Alliance, Kontor New Media, The Orchard, INgrooves, Zynga, Hoodiny, CAM, Zebralution, E1 Canada Distribution, IODA, Cooking Vinyl, & X5 Music Group.
RightsFlow is a Full Member of DDEX.
Contact for RightsFlow:
Michael Kauffman, VP of Sales & Marketing, +1-212-937-6955 x311, michael.kauffman@rightsflow.com
